As events occurred, it became obvious that her whole-house installed Heat Pump rendered the Portable Air Conditioner (hereafter to be referred to as "R2D2", because of the shape of the 100#+ unit) was superfluous to her needs. So I took R2D2 home, and stashed it in my garage.
Segue to This Week, when ambient temperatures exceeded 90 degrees for the second time in the year, with reasonable expectation that the trend would continue for months.
I had an el-cheapo 3,000 BTU air conditioner installed in my upstairs (2-level townhouse) Duplex Apartment, and it was entirely adequate to keep my bedroom cooled for sleeping.
But my Computer Room (the 2nd bedroom), also on the 2nd floor, was appropriately described as "The Hell Room", not only for the disorder typical of the Aging Bachelor, but also for the failure to provide heat-relief accommodations apart from a few fans.
Not working for me, Dude.
Yesterday, I packed R2D2 up the 14-step stairway and installed it in upstairs master bedroom. It worked fine, except when I got up in the morning I discovered the bedroom was sopping wet. Condensation on the condenser was my evaluation; after all, the R2D2 unit sits on the floor.
I soaked up the excess moisture from the rug using dry towels, and went to work assuming that the problem would correct itself in the anticipated ninety-degree heat.
Didn't happen.
[sigh]
When I got home from work this evening at 6pm, my first effort was to install the old window-style air conditioner in the Hell Room. Then I turned the R2D2 air conditioner on in "Dehumidifier" mode, to dry out the carpet in the Master Bedroom, installed the old 'casement-window' air conditioner in the Hell Room and turned on both air conditioners.
When I took the remnants from the cardboard boxes (used to block off the airflow from outside to inside) to the recycle bin, I noted that the hum of air-conditioners abruptly self-terminated.
The power demands of two air-conditioners (and an Edison Fan or two) on the 1970's design of cheap, easy and quick townhouse construction had exceeded design parameters, causing the circuit breaker (which assigned power requirements for the entire second floor) to fail.
I turned off all the obvious power-draining appliances ... both air conditioners .. and reset the circuit breakers.
Obviously, the electrical substructure of the apartment was not able to handle the power demands of two air-conditioners; and I had not even turned on the computer, which was the object of the exercise and the reason why I wanted to be 'comfortable' while residing on the 2nd floor.
So I can have two air-conditioners installed on the upper level of the apartment. I just can't have them both running at the same time.
I've turned off R2D2 in the bedroom, while I run the 'old' AC in the "Hell Room".
In a few minutes, I'll complete this blog article, which frees me to turn of the 'puter, and the window AC. I'll then turn on the R2D2 unit on "Dehumidifier" mode, to dry out the carpet.
Downstairs to cook and eat dinner while I watch the rest of the Terry Pratchett DVD, and off to bed.
The short story is that, while I have several hundred dollars worth of air conditioners installed, I can't run them both at the same time.
It isn't easy, being Geek.
___________________________________________
UPDATE: 10-JUL-2008
I'm proud to state that, in spite of the base canards of my detractors, the attempts to dry out the carpets in the Master Bedroom were completely successful. By morning the carpet was dry, and I had slept deeply and soundly in cool 52 degree comfort.
(DBD Cartoon for 2008/07/09 -- click for full size)
Yes, it is true that I am incompetent when it comes to machinery. But I've learned to compensate for my limitations.
And I get better looking every day.
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